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Waiting on Weather at Meldrum Bay – 8/5/16

First time since leaving Lake Michigan that we’ve been held up by wind while on fresh water (and Lake Michigan is just around the corner once again)

Loop Log:

Miles Cruised today: NA – Layover Day

Total Miles Cruised to date: 6,320

Hours Underway: NA

Fuel: 7.5 gallons; $40

Morning House Battery Reading: 14.3 (plugged in)

Wind Speed: 20; Wind Direction: W

Daily High Temperature: 80

Water Temperature: 73

The predicted early morning rain hits at 6am. I hurry out and set up the cockpit enclosure (just too tired last night to do it before retiring), and then crawl back into the sleeping bag for 40 more winks. When we finally do get up I’m second guessing yesterday’s decision to lay over today. It’s a beautiful morning, and quite calm out on Meldrum Bay. I’m thinking that we very well could have made our move to Drummond Island today. Those thoughts are quickly put to rest around 11am when a small sailboat makes its way into the harbour and docks at the marina. The couple on board report having made a very rough passage across the North Channel. An hour or two later a large sailboat, which had been in the marina last night and had departed earlier in the morning, returns to the dock. The captain says they’d tried going out and had turned back. Just too rough out there, he says. So, the decision to lay over is looking better all the time.

It’s a warm day, and the breeze which is causing such rough conditions out in North Channel is quite welcome here. We go for an afternoon walk over to a small museum just up the road. It’s located in a historic fishing net shed. The great grandson of the fisherman who built it greets us as we walk in. One of the most remarkable artifacts we find inside are two large timbers which were discovered on a nearby beach more than 50 years ago. They’ve been heavily researched, and while it’s not 100% certain, the consensus of opinion is that they came from the wreck of La Salle’s ship Le Griffon, which sank in this area in 1679.

Together with the couple who came in this morning, we consult weather forecasts to try and decide whether we can move in the morning. It looks like conditions will be ok in the morning, but the wind is really supposed to pipe up by 2pm. We figure that if we get an early enough start we should be able to make Drummond Island by noon. We decide to go, provided that the forecast holds. We’ll check again before turning in tonight.

We fix dinner on the boat, but just can’t resist heading back over to the Meldrum Bay Inn for another go at their fabulous desserts. Tonight we try their bumbleberry pie, which is served ala mode. The plate is sprinkled with cinnamon, and the combination is excellent. Our table is out on the balcony, and while waiting for our pie I try taking pictures of the hummingbirds which are visiting feeders which hang from the eaves. Diners at 2 other tables notice what I’m doing and soon they too are snapping photos with their cell phone cameras. We’re entertained by a musician with a guitar who is playing and singing ballads. Both his voice and the lyrics, which I presume are his own, are filled with feeling. We will take fond memories of Meldrum Bay when we leave.